UNTOLD stories of those who once lived and worked at Warwick Castle feature in a new display at St Mary’s Church.
The church is working with Warwickshire County Council to host a display in support of the ‘Warwick Castle Unboxed: New stories from an old castle’ exhibition currently at nearby Market Hall Museum.
That exhibition features personal tales of the Greville family and their servants, beginning over 400 years ago, when Sir Fulke Greville boldly asked King James I for Warwick Castle and he agreed.
The display at St Mary’s Church, the location of Greville family tombs and memorials, includes stories of unwanted funeral pomp and pageantry and beloved servants remembered, as well as a forgotten visit to Warwick by a famous artist who painted the castle.
The stories have all come from the Greville family archive. Warwickshire County Record Office raised funds to buy the nationally significant archive in 1978 and a special project to catalogue it and make it accessible to the public began in 2021. Warwick Castle Unboxed reveals some of what has been uncovered.
The St Mary’s display will include a chance to see some original documents from the Greville family collection, held at Warwickshire County Record Office.
Rob Eyre, senior archivist said: “The response to the exhibition in Market Hall Museum has been fantastic but there have been so many stories emerging from the archive it has been impossible to include them all. We are delighted therefore to have the opportunity to display additional material in St Mary’s.”
Kate Rist, events manager at St Mary’s, added: “A significant feature of the programme is the inclusion of the tomb of Fulke Greville inside St Mary’s Church. The ornate monument remains one of Warwick’s most important historical landmarks and offers visitors a direct connection to the man whose ambitions secured the castle for his family line.
The exhibition at St Mary’s will run until the autumn. Entry is free.
Visit www.stmaryswarwick.org.uk for church opening times.
